Commentary
Commentary
Charter Schools
LeBron’s I Promise School isn’t a charter, but it puts kids first—and that’s all that matters
You’ve probably heard by now that basketball superstar LeBron James opened a school for at-risk kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Called I Promise School (IPS), it’s a joint effort between the I Promise Network, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Akron Public Schools.
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: Near West Intergenerational School emphasizes relationships and rigor to ignite lifelong learning
No two charter public schools are alike and the guiding purpose of the Pathway to Success series is to highlight the breadth of quality options available to parents and students across Ohio.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Ohio’s dual credit landscape: A primer
With college tuition at an all-time high, Ohio families are increasingly interested in finding ways to save on costs. Dual credit is a promising solution because if offers students the chance to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. Ohio has a plethora of dual-credit options, but some are better known to families than others. Here is a quick overview of the offerings.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Innovation Ohio’s half truths about ECOT and school funding
Over the past month, local newspapers across Ohio have blasted headlines such as “Local schools lost millions to ECOT” and “Study: Now-defunct ECOT siphoned $2.6 million from
Commentary
Charter Schools
Big changes are coming for Ohio’s dropout prevention and recovery schools
State report cards are a hot topic in Ohio, but most of the attention has been focused on the system used for traditional district and charter schools. Many Ohioans are unaware that state law requires the State Board of Education to have a separate report card system for dropout prevention and recovery charter schools (DPRS).
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: Sciotoville Elementary Academy focuses on meeting the needs of its rural community
As people in Sciotoville tell it, their children historically have gotten Portsmouth’s leftovers—from textbooks to sports uniforms and more. That belief, they say, was the impetus for creating Sciotoville’s two start-up charter public schools.
Report
Accountability & Testing, Charter Schools
2017 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation’s sponsorship annual report highlights our work with eleven schools that served 4,150 students in five Ohio cities during the 2016-17 school year.
Commentary
Charter Schools
How did Ohio’s urban charters stack up on report cards?
Last week, the Ohio Department of Education released school grades for the 2016-17 school year. These report cards offer Buckeye families, community members, and taxpayers an important annual review of the performance of the state’s 3,000 plus schools and 600 districts.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Gadfly Bites 9/8/17 - Paging Dr. Hardy! Paging Dr. Hardy!
Not much to report on today, but let’s not let that get us down. First up, we’ve got a bit more insight into that “final offer” from the Columbus City Schools board to the teacher’s union.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Quality education should know no borders
Despite their pronouncements to the contrary, many of Ohio’s affluent suburban school districts are about as “public” as a gated community. That’s the right conclusion to draw from a series of recent events.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Education savings accounts: The future of school choice in Ohio
NOTE: The Thomas B. Fordham Institute occasionally publishes guest commentaries on its blogs. The views expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham.
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: The Charles School broadens college access for students who need it
A college degree is becoming increasingly necessary in order for young people to attain the jobs they want, and yet getting to and through college in some ways has never been more challenging. Many students are ill-prepared when they arrive, others lack the “soft” skills necessary to succeed in a postsecondary environment, and the cost of college is immense.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Text of testimony given before the Senate Education Committee 4/25/17
NOTE: The Education Committee of the Ohio Senate last week heard testimony on SB 85, a proposal that would expand Ohio’s private school voucher program. Fordham’s Chad Aldis was a witness at this hearing and these are his written remarks.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Gadfly Bites 4/26/17 - Chad Aldis vs. The "Naked" Beast
In case you missed it this week, Ohio’s own pale, skinny version of the Loch Ness Monster resurfaced on the shores of the Scioto River, to take a context-free and factually-deficient lunge against charter schools, jaws a-slavering.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Text of testimony given before the Senate Education Committee 4/5/17
NOTE: The Senate Education Committee of the Ohio General Assembly is hearing proponent testimony this week on Senate Bill 85, a proposal that would significantly alter Ohio’s voucher programs. Below is the written testimony that Chad Aldis gave before the committee today.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Gadfly Bites 4/5/17 - The defiance edition
The Dayton Daily News announced this week – with something akin to relief, or maybe glee? – that there are no changes to Ohio’s testing regimen for the first time in three years. Not for lack of trying, I’m sure.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Gadfly Bites 3/27/17 - Feeling nettled about school choice
At the risk of diluting the cool factor of my kids’ current favorite word, reporter Patrick O’Donnell appears to be “nettled” over the possible expansion of private school vouchers in Ohio.
Policy Brief
School Finance, Charter Schools, Private School Choice
Policy Brief: Ohio's Voucher Programs
The genesis of vouchers in Ohio stretches back to 1995 and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring program. In 2006, vouchers expanded statewide via the Educational Choice Scholarship (or EdChoice), which aims to assist students assigned to a low-rated public school.
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: Citizens Leadership Academy develops strong citizens and scholars
Citizens Leadership Academy (CLA) is preparing its middle schoolers for success in high school, college, and life. CLA is second among all public schools in the city on student growth.
Commentary
Charter Schools
You’re invited to a panel discussion on the facilities challenges facing Ohio charter schools
Ohio charter schools have long reported struggling in their efforts to secure school facilities.
Report
Charter Schools, Governance
On the Right Track: Ohio’s charter reforms one year into implementation
Ohio House Bill 2 (HB 2) was signed into law on November 1, 2015. It was a landmark piece of legislation that significantly altered the framework governing the state’s charter schools.
Report
Charter Schools
2016 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The 2015–16 school year was one of transition in Ohio. New state assessments (again), new charter sponsor evaluations, and even a new state superintendent. Change is hard, but it is important to remember that the developments of the last twelve months have their roots in policy decisions designed to improve Ohio’s academic standards overall and its charter school sector in particular.
Report
Charter Schools, Teachers & School Leaders
Pathway to Success: KIPP Columbus takes seriously its mission to send kids to and through college
KIPP Columbus achieves extraordinary outcomes for its students, predominantly students in poverty and students of color. Led by Hannah Powell and a visionary board, the school has a rare knack for forging powerful partnerships at every turn—ones that strengthen KIPP students, their families, and the entire community near its campus.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Fordham Institute media statement on Ohio charter sponsor evaluations
Ohio Charter Accountability Takes Big Leap Forward with First Sponsor Evaluation Ratings
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: Columbus Collegiate Academy embodies high expectations for all students
Columbus Collegiate Academy (CCA) epitomizes the relentlessness and vision necessary to close achievement gaps in urban education. Started in the basement of a church with 57 students in 2008, CCA evolved into one of the city’s top-performing middle schools.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Fordham Institute congratulates winners of Ohio’s $25 million competitive grant for charter school facilities
Today, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission announced eight winners in the state’s inaugural round of funding to charter schools to purchase, construct, or renovate classroom facilities.
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: DECA prepares students for rigors of college, realities of life
Too much of what we hear about urban public schools in America is disheartening. A student’s zip code—whether she comes from poverty or economic privilege—often predicts her likelihood of educational (and later-life) success.
Commentary
Charter Schools
The Sharpton-Moskowitz alliance
Now that New York’s students are heading into another year of Common Core-aligned standardized testing, it’s probably time to start taking bets on exactly how many kids will actually show up.
Report
Accountability & Testing, Charter Schools
2015 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report
The 2015 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report is our opportunity to share the Fordham Foundation’s work as the sponsor of eleven schools serving approximately 3,200 students in five cities, and our related policy work in Ohio and nationally.
